Warm String Bean and Fennel Salad with Garlic Lemon Butter

This gives new meaning to the term "butter beans." Butter. Beans.

(And fennel and lemon and garlic too.)

A late summer salad. It's just right.

And a note: if you think you don't like fennel, try cooking it slowly in butter. Its anise notes mellow and it becomes sweet and truly terrific.

2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
about 1 pound string beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch(ish) pieces
1 bulb fennel, cored and sliced into 1/4 inch strips (reserve the fronds)
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
zest of one small lemon
juice of half that lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds

Melt the butter over medium heat. Toss in the garlic, then the beans and fennel. Continue cooking over medium heat for about 3 or 4 minutes, then pour in some water. Cover the pan and steam the beans until cooked. If water lingers, but the beans are done, remove the beans from the pan, and cook off most of the water. Pour the fat and garlic that remains at that point back over the beans. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, and the fennel fronds.

Serves 4 as a side.